(1 of )FILE - In this Nov. 23, 2011 file photo, film producer Harvey Weinstein poses for a photo in New York. New York's attorney general on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018, filed a lawsuit against Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/John Carucci, File)

(2 of ) Movie producer Harvey Weinstein was the first of many powerful men in Hollywood and beyond to be accused of sexual assault or harassment. Since Oct. 5, 83 women have accused Weinstein of assault, claiming he raped, masturbated in front of them, exposed himself or touched them inappropriately. He resigned from the board of the Weinstein Company board on Oct. 17. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

(3 of ) A few weeks after the Weinstein scandal, two-time Oscar winner and "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey was accused of sexual assault by 15 men, including misconduct with a minor. Now fired from his hit Netflix drama, Spacey currently is seeking treatment according to the New York Times. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

(4 of ) Hollywood action hero Steven Seagal has been accused by multiple actresses, including Portia de Rossi, of sexual harassment. He is accused of giving actresses movie roles in exchange for sexual favors, dating back all the way to the 1990s according to Vanity Fair. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

(5 of ) "Gossip Girl" star Ed Westwick has been accused of raping two women and groping a third. He has denied the allegations. Los Angeles Police are investigating the claims. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

(6 of ) FILE - In this June 25, 2016 file photo, Louis C.K. attends the premiere of "The Secret Life of Pets" in New York. Louis C.K. was accused by five women of sexual misconduct. The planned release of his film, "I Love You, Daddy" was halted and his Netflix special was canceled. He says the allegations are true and has apologized. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

(7 of ) FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2017 file photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Colorado Supreme Court Justice Allison Eid, on her nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken is accused of forcibly kissing a woman while rehearsing for a 2006 USO tour; Franken also was photographed with his hands over her breasts as she slept wearing a flak vest. He has apologized, while maintaining that he remembered the rehearsal differently. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

(8 of ) Eight women have accused "CBS This Morning" host Charlie Rose of inappropriate sexual behavior including making lewd phone calls and exposing himself, as first reported by the Washington Post. He has been fired by CBS News and by PBS, which carried his "Charlie Rose" interview show. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

(9 of ) The chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios John Lasseter, a Sonoma Valley resident, has been accused of sexual misconduct including groping former employees. According to Vanity Fair, an escort was assigned to be with anyone he took out for drinks in order to protect their safety. He currently is on a six-month sabbatical to keep the staff from feeling "disrespected or uncomfortable." (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP, File)

(10 of ) "Today" show how Matt Lauer is accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment by employees and staff including gifting a sex toy to an employee and locking women in his office. He was fired from NBC after the allegations were made but sources told Variety magazine that the inappropriate behavior was an open secret for years with management. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

(11 of ) Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has been accused sexual misconduct involving five underage women. The Republican National Committee has pulled its funding from his campaign since the accusations. Moore denies the claims, saying its a "desperate political attack by the National Democratic Party" according to the New York Times. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

(12 of ) Famous playwright Israel Horovitz is accused of of sexual harassment and abuse towards nine women, with charges ranging from rape to molestation to forcibly kissing and inappropriate touching, according to the New York Times. The Barefoot Theater Company has since cut ties with Horovitz after the accusations became public. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision for Porsche/AP Images)

(13 of ) After condemning Harvey Weinstein's actions last month, Ben Affleck was forced to defend his own conduct. He apologized for groping actress Hilarie Burton on camera in 2003 when she was a host on MTV's "Total Request Live." Another video from 2004 showed Affleck pulling Montreal TV host Anne-Marie Losique onto his lap. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

(14 of ) Hours after The Hollywood Reporter published detailed claims by Isa Hackett, an executive producer of the Amazon series “The Man in the High Castle," of sexual harassment by Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios, Amazon reported that Price's leave of absence was effective immediately. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

(15 of ) Celebrity chef John Besh is accused by 25 women of sexual harassment. He has stepped down from the company he founded. (Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP, File)

(16 of ) Dustin Hoffman was accused by a woman of sexual harassment when she was 17. Writer Anna Graham Hunter alleged in a Wednesday column in The Hollywood Reporter that the now 80-year-old actor groped her on the set of TV movie "Death of a Salesman" and "talked about sex to me and in front of me." He has apologized for his behavior. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

(17 of ) Actresses Selma Blair and Rachel McAdams have added their names to the growing list of women who have come forward to allege that James Toback, director/producer/subject of the HBO documentary film "Seduced and Abandoned," sexually harassed or assaulted them. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

(18 of ) New York's Metropolitan Opera is investigating allegations that its longtime conductor, James Levine, sexually abused a teenager in the mid-1980s. Details of the police report were first reported Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, on the New York Post website. Levine, 74, stepped down as music director of the Met in April 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

(19 of ) A day after HuffPost published an article critical of Netflix amid rape allegations against "The Ranch" star Danny Masterson, the company fired the actor from the series. The actor claims he is innocent. (CHRISTOPHER HALLORAN/ SHUTTERSTOCK)

(20 of ) Early Uber investor and venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar is taking an immediate leave of absence from his two companies after a report of alleged sexual misconduct, it was reported Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Pishevark calls the allegations against him a "smear campaign." (@SHERVIN)

(22 of ) The New Yorker magazine and CNN cut ties with political reporter Ryan Lizza over "improper sexual conduct" on Monday, Dec. 12, 2017. Lizza called the decision a "terrible mistake" made without a full investigation. (CNN)

(23 of ) FILE - At left, in an Oct. 5, 2017, file photo, Marshall Faulk broadcasts from the field after an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Tampa, Fla. At center, in a Sept. 9, 2015, file photo, NFL Network's Ike Taylor is interviewed during a media availability on set at the NFL Network studios, in Culver City, California. At right in a Sept. 9, 2015, file photo, NFL Network's Heath Evans is interviewed during a media availability on set at the NFL Network studios, in Culver City, Calif. Hall of Fame player Marshall Faulk and two other NFL Network analysts have been suspended after a former employee alleged sexual misconduct in a lawsuit. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, identified the three as Faulk, Ike Taylor and Heath Evans. He says they have been "suspended from their duties at NFL Network pending an investigation into these allegations." (AP Photo/File)

(24 of ) Restaurant owner Ken Friedman is taking a leave of absence from him companies after a Dec. 12, 2017, New York Times report that he regularly subjected several women who worked for him at New York's Spotted Pig restaurant to unwanted sexual advances and groping. (KEN FRIEDMAN/ FACEBOOK)

(25 of ) FILE - In this April 27, 2016 file photo, Tavis Smiley appears at the 33rd annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles. PBS says it has suspended distribution of Smiley’s talk show after an independent investigation uncovered “multiple, credible allegations” of misconduct by its host. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)

(26 of ) ABC cut ties with "The Great American Baking Show" judge Johnny Iuzzini amid claims of sexual harassment on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017. The network also yanked the series from its lineup. (JOHNNY IUZZINI/ FACEBOOK)

(27 of ) Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, arrives for a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, in Washington. Texas GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold says won't seek re-election next year. The lawmaker is under pressure from sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced three years ago but have come under renewed focus. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

(28 of ) FILE - In this July 18, 2015 file photo, Russell Simmons speaks appears at the RUSH Philanthropic Arts Foundation's Art for Life Benefit in Water Mill, N.Y. Three women have told the New York Times that music mogul Russell Simmons raped them. Simmons, in a statement to the paper, vehemently denied what he called ‚Äúthese horrific accusations,‚Äù saying all his relations have been consensual. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)

(29 of ) FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011 file photo, Chris Matthews, host of "Hardball" on MSNBC, is pictured at the NBC Universal summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. A spokesman for MSNBC on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 confirmed a report that a staffer at the news channel nearly two decades ago had been paid and left her job after she complained she was sexually harassed by "Hardball" host Chris Matthews. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

(30 of ) FILE - In this Wednesday, April 19, 2017, file photo, chef Mario Batali attends an awards event in New York. Batali has issued an apology to his newsletter subscribers for his sexual misconduct against women, but he confounded some by ending his message with a recipe for a “holiday-inspired breakfast.” Batali was immediately blasted on social media for including in the Friday, Dec. 16 email the “Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls” recipe after his apology for making “many mistakes.”(Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)

(31 of ) FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2003, file photo, Judge Alex Kozinski, of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, gestures in San Francisco. Kozinski announced his immediate retirement Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, days after women alleged he subjected them to inappropriate sexual conduct or comments. Kozinski said in a statement Monday that a battle over the accusations would not be good for the judiciary. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, Pool, File)

(32 of ) FILE - In this June 14, 2011 file photo, Ben Vereen arrives at the opening night performance of the Broadway musical "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" in New York. Vereen is apologizing to female actresses for “inappropriate conduct” while he directed a production of the musical “Hair” in Florida in 2015. The apology on Twitter comes a day after the New York Daily News reported several actresses at The Venice Theatre alleged sexually abusive behavior by Vereen, including unwanted kissing, inviting women to join him naked in his hot tub and making demeaning and degrading comments. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)

(33 of ) FILE - In this Thursday, May 12, 2016 file photo, Paul Haggis attends the premiere of "Under The Gun" in New York. A December 2017 civil lawsuit charging the Oscar-winning filmmaker with rape has prompted three other women to come forward with their own accusations, including a publicist who says he forced her to perform oral sex, then raped her. Haggis has denied the allegations in the lawsuit, and when asked about the new accusations, his lawyer said, "He didn't rape anybody." (Photo by Christopher Smith/Invision/AP, File)

(34 of ) FILE- In this Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, file photo, Kentucky GOP House Speaker Jeff Hoover attends annual ethics and anti-sexual harassment training for the state legislature in Frankfort, Ky. Hoover resigned from his leadership position Monday, Jan. 8, more than two months after acknowledging he secretly settled a sexual harassment claim and paid to keep it quiet. (AP Photo/Adam Beam, File)

(35 of ) FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2017 file photo, James Franco attends the centerpiece gala presentation of "The Disaster Artist," in Los Angeles. Several women have made further claims of sexual inappropriateness against James Franco in a Los Angeles Times article. In the report published Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, two former student actresses described negative on-set experiences with the actor-filmmaker while being directed by him. Sarah Tither-Kaplan said in a nude orgy scene three years ago, he removed plastic guards covering the actresses‚Äô groins while simulating sex. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

(36 of ) FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2011 file photo, chief conductor Charles Dutoit rehearses with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia. Six more women have stepped forward to accuse the prominent conductor of sexually assaulting them in the United States, France and Canada, including a musician who says the maestro raped her in 1988. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

(37 of ) FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2018, file photo, Aziz Ansari arrives at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Comedian Ansari has responded to allegations of sexual misconduct by a woman he dated in 2017. Ansari said in a statement Sunday, Jan. 14, that he apologized last year when she told him about her discomfort during a sexual encounter in his apartment he said he believed to be consensual. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

(38 of ) This combination of 2008 and 2017 photos shows photographers Bruce Weber, left, and Mario Testino. On Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, The New York Times reported that male models have accused Weber and Testino of unwanted advances and coercion. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, Michael Sohn)

(39 of ) FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2016 file photo, U.S actor Michael Douglas arrives at the 41st French Cesar Awards Ceremony, in Paris. A woman who worked for Douglas in the late 1980s says he fondled himself in front of her, an allegation the actor has vigorously denied. Journalist and author Susan Braudy appeared Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 on NBC's "Today" show. Earlier this month, Douglas said he anticipated an upcoming report containing allegations and called it a "complete lie, fabrication."(AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

(40 of ) FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2017 file photo, David Copperfield attends the 14th Annual CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Gala in New York. Copperfield has declared his support for the Me Too movement in a lengthy statement online in the wake of new allegations of misconduct. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

(41 of ) FILE - In a July 18, 2016 file photo, actor Scott Baio speaks during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Baio is denying a claim made by his former “Charles in Charge” co-star Nicole Eggert that something inappropriate happened between the two when she was a minor. Eggert tweeted Saturday. Jan. 27, 2018 to ask Baio about what happened in his garage when she was a minor. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

(42 of ) FILE - In this Tuesday, June 9, 2015 file photo, Jeremy Piven poses for photographers at the premiere of the film "Entourage," in London. An online news site says Piven is facing more sexual misconduct accusations. He previously denied allegations by at least three other women. BuzzFeed News reported Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, that the latest accusations date back decades and involve three women who claim Piven acted in a physically aggressive or threatening manner. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

(43 of ) FILE - This March 15, 2016, file photo shows casino mogul Steve Wynn at a news conference in Medford, Mass. Wynn Resorts announced Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, that Wynn has resigned as chairman and CEO, effective immediately, amid sexual misconduct allegations. The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 26 that a number of women said Wynn harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement. The Las Vegas billionaire has vehemently denied the allegations, which he attributes to a campaign led by his ex-wife. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

(44 of ) FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2017 file photo, Jeffrey Tambor attends the BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Amazon Studios says "Transparent" star Jeffrey Tambor won't be on the series when it returns for its fifth season. The decision confirmed Thursday by an Amazon spokeswoman followed the reported conclusion of an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

(45 of ) Richard Meier is accused of harassing at five women going back decades, according to reporting by the New York Times on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Meier is taking a six-month leave from his firm. (RICHARD MEIER & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS)

(46 of ) FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2018 file photo, Charlie Walk participates in "The Four" panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. Walk is leaving Republic Records after an investigation into sexual misconduct. The company, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, said in a short statement Wednesday that “Republic Records and Charlie Walk have mutually agreed to part ways.” Walk had been on leave since January. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

(47 of ) FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2014, file photo, journalist Tom Brokaw is introduced before being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. A woman who worked as a war correspondent for NBC News says Brokaw groped her, twice tried to forcibly kiss her and made inappropriate overtures attempting to have an affair. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

(48 of ) FILE - In this May 22, 2018 file photo, actor Morgan Freeman attends the 2018 PEN Literary Gala in New York. Freeman is apologizing to anyone who may have felt “uncomfortable or disrespected” by his behavior. His remarks come after CNN reported that multiple women have accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior on movie sets and in other professional settings. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

New York attorney general suit: Weinstein Co. failed to protect women

NEW YORK — New York's attorney general is accusing Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein of "repeatedly and persistently" sexually harassing female employees at his film company, according to a lawsuit filed on Sunday by the state prosecutor that could impact the company's potential sale.

"As alleged in our complaint, The Weinstein Company repeatedly broke New York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination," state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in court papers filed against Weinstein and the company.

Schneiderman launched a civil rights probe into the New York City-based company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades.

Weinstein's attorney, Ben Brafman, released a statement Sunday evening saying many of the allegations against his client are "without merit."

"While Mr. Weinstein's behavior was not without fault, there certainly was no criminality, and at the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or TWC," Brafman said.

Scores of women, including well-known actresses, have come forward with stories of forced sexual encounters. Weinstein was fired by the film company he founded with his brother Robert and expelled from Hollywood's movie academy.

The attorney general's office said the lawsuit was filed on Sunday partly due to reports of the company's imminent sale, saying it believed it would leave victims without adequate redress.

"Any sale of The Weinstein Company must ensure that victims will be compensated, employees will be protected going forward, and that neither perpetrators nor enables will be unjustly enriched," court papers said.

Schneiderman's investigation found that employees were subjected to various verbal threats from Weinstein such as "I will kill you, I will kill your family, and "you don't know what I can do."

"To work for Harvey Weinstein was to work under a persistent barrage of gender-based obscenities, vulgar name-calling, sexualized interactions, threats of violence, and a workplace general hostile to women," according to court papers.

In one case, the probe found that "in a fit of rage against one female employee, he yelled that she should leave the company and make babies since that was all she was good for."

Female executives were forced to facilitate Weinstein's sexual conquests with promises of employment opportunities to women who met his favor, according to the lawsuit, which also accused the company of being "responsible for the unlawful conduct" by failing to stop the abuse.

The company and co-owner Robert "are liable because they were aware of and acquiesced in repeated and persistent unlawful conduct by failing to investigate or stop it," court papers said.

Representatives for Weinstein have previously denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.